Bopper & Mark

For the other team in which Mark ran the race, see Mark & Mallory.

Bopper & Mark
Team Profile
Hometown:	Manchester, Kentucky
Relation:	Best Friends
Occupation:	Motorcycle mechanic (Bopper) Former State Inspector (Mark)
Legs Competed:	10
Placement:	5th

William "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson are a team of Best Friends on The Amazing Race 20.

Friends from Kentucky, they quickly became the fan favorites of the season due to their humble demeanours, enthusiasm and strong friendship. They were so popular that even Phil Keoghan himself said that Bopper and Mark have made the "top three favorite teams of all time". They also had one of the most heartbreaking stories in the series, as they wanted to win the money to treat Bopper's sick daughter. They managed to run a fairly strong race, and were the only team to beat Rachel & Dave to the Pit Stop after Leg 5. Unfortunately Mark suffered during the Bollywood Dancing Roadblock in Leg 9 from dehydration and motion sickness, with Bopper urging him to stop from fear that he might have a heart attack. Though they were saved by non-elimination for the second time, they were so far behind that not even the Fast Forward was able to save them in the next leg and they finished 5th.

Though their fan favorite status brought them back for All-Stars, a medical check-up on the night before the Race began, showed that Bopper's pancreas was inflamed and the doctor told him he was unfit to run the Race. Many teams were heartbroken by this news, with Phil saying "it was one of the hardest thing things that I've had to do on a Race" during an interview. With Bopper's blessing, Mark raced with former contestant Mallory of Gary & Mallory, though they were eliminated in 10th Place.

Profile

Retrieved from CBS.com

Bopper

• Age: 41
• Hometown: Manchester, Ky.
• Connection to Teammate: Best Friend
• Current Occupation: Motorcycle Mechanic
• Describe what you do: I fix motorcycles and take care of my Mom and Dad.
• How will these skills help you win The Race? I am good with my hands and it has made me a better person -- I think outside of the box.
• Three words to describe you: Hyper, funny and exciting.
• Favorite hobbies: Motorcycle riding, swimming and building bikes.
• What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jim Carey
• What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Tiger Woods
• What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My child
• What scares you most about traveling? Getting lost and high places.
• What excites you most about traveling? I have not done much traveling so I am really excited about getting to do that.
• Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? For Mark to listen to me and realize that he is not always right.
• Pet peeve about your teammate: He thinks he knows everything.
• What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Germany, because I have friends there.
• What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? To better our friendship and to see the world together.

Mark

• Age: 45
• Hometown: Manchester, Ky.
• Connection to Teammate: Best Friend
• Current Occupation: Former State Inspector
• What skills do you have that will help you win The Race? Don’t know but my heart will pull me through.
• Three words to describe you: Loyal, outspoken and friendly.
• Favorite hobbies: Golf, basketball and four wheeling.
• What famous person reminds you of yourself? Michael Jordan and Denzel Washington
• What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Patrick Swayze
• What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My kids
• What scares you most about traveling? Flying
• What excites you most about traveling? Seeing different things.
• Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together? Listening to each other.
• Pet peeve about your teammate: He acts up too much. He doesn’t know when to stop.
• What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Scotland—to see some of the first golf courses ever built.
• What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? See the world.

The Amazing Race 20

Race History

Booper & Mark's Race History
Episode	Leg	Destination(s)	Detour Choice (underlined)	Roadblock Performer	Placement	Notes
1	1	United States → Argentina	No Detour	Bopper	9 of 11
2	2	Argentina	Boil My Water / Light My Fire	Mark	3 of 10
3	3	Argentina → Paraguay	Stacked Up / Strung Out	Mark	4 of 9
4	4	Paraguay → Italy	Clean That Statue / Name That Salami	Bopper	8 of 8
5	5	Italy → Germany	Fairy Tale / Champion Male	Mark	6 of 8
6	6	Germany → Azerbaijan	Apples / Oil	Bopper	3 of 7
7	7	Azerbaijan → Tanzania	Marksmanship / Courtship	No Roadblock	2 of 6
8	8	Tanzania	Water Supply / Air Supply	Mark	1 of 6
9	9	Tanzania → India	Cricket / Clutch It	Mark	5 of 5
10	10	India	Used Fast Forward		5 of 5►	[1]
				Average	4.60
Legend:      The team finished in first place      The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race      The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg      The team that won The Amazing Race      The team that crossed the Finish Line second      The team that crossed the Finish Line third ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg ⊂ The team used the U-Turn ⊃ Recipient of the U-Turn ⋐ The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn" ⋑ Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist
Notes: 1: Bopper & Mark completed the Fast Forward task, but were too far behind the other teams and they still came in last and were eliminated.

Post Race

• Bopper & Mark competed on a The Amazing Race Primetime special of The Price is Right in 2016. Bopper & Mark helped their respective contestant, Monifa Sims, wife of Survivor: Worlds Apart castaway Will Sims II, win a trip to South Africa in their pricing game. However, The trio failed to make it to the Showcase.

External Links

Interviews

Season 20

• Reg Seeton at The Deadbolt (04/30/2012): "The Amazing Race: Heat and Heart with Bopper and Mark"
• Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (04/30/2012): "Exclusive: "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson talk The Amazing Race"
• Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (04/30/2012): "Our Friendship Is Deeper Than Any Situation"
• Catriona Wightman at Digital Spy (05/01/2012): "We gave everything we had"
• Elimination Interviews at CBS.com (05/01/2012): "Elimination Interview: Mark and Bopper"
• Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (05/02/2012): "Team Kentucky talks about their reception back home and more"
• Susan Gonzales at Yakkity Yaks (05/03/2012): "The Amazing Race: The Yak Chats with Mark Jackson and William 'Bopper' Minton"

Season 24

• Rob Cesternino at RHAP (02/24/2014): "Talking with the Latest Eliminated Players from Amazing Race"
• Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (02/24/2014): "William 'Bopper' Minton talks The Amazing Race 24" [Parts 1 & 2]
• Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (02/25/2014): "Bopper discusses his medical exit"
• Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (02/25/2014): "Withdrawal Was Heartbreaking"

Social Media Profiles

• Bopper's Facebook: /bopper.minton

• Bopper's Twitter: @BopperMinton

• Mark's Facebook: /mark.jackson.963

References

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